Thursday, July 7, 2011

Lauren Spierer Update: Body Found in Fall Creek Not Lauren Spierer

The mystery surrounding the disappearance of Indiana University student Lauren Spierer continues as the body found in Fall Creek on Sunday has been ruled out as a match for the 20-year-old, who has been missing since June 3. The identity of the person found in the creek remains unknown.

The discovery of the unknown female's body comes on the heels of another plea by Spierer's parents, Rob and Charlene Spierer, for information regarding their daughter's disappearance. Police have admitted that they have not received any viable tips regarding the missing student in weeks.

Spierer's disappearance initially drew the cooperation of more than 1,000 volunteers organized by Spierer's parents, who combed parts of the campus and Bloomington itself for days before being sent home. Some 1,500 tips have been called into police, but other than an initial lead on a white vehicle that appears now to have no relevance to the case, they have all led nowhere.

The lack of clues as to the whereabouts of the missing student has brought increasing pressure on the local police department, which has refused to say whether or not they believe that Spierer is even still alive. In the meantime, they have been quietly conducting searches of various places of interest, including her boyfriend's apartment and that of Jay Rosenbaum, who is widely believed to have been the last person to see her alive.

Journalists have been conducting interviews of their own with Spierer's friends and fellow students, in the hopes of unraveling the mystery surrounding her disappearance. Criticism has been lobbed at both the police department, for failing to conduct interviews and searches fast enough, and at Spierer's parents, who continue to make public pleas that, to some, appear to be directed at particular people or groups that remain unnamed.

The body of the unknown female found in Fall Creek on Sunday was thought to be either that of Spierer or missing local great-grandmother Dorothy Heard. Both women disappeared last month. However, police have now said they have yet another investigation on their hands, as the initial autopsy reports appear to indicate that the woman was black. Spierer and Heard are white.